Southern Strawberry Cake From Scratch – Real Recipe, No Box Mix, No Jello

Name: Southern Strawberry Cake From Scratch – Real Recipe, No Box Mix, No Jello
Ingredients: 1½ pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (this gives you enough reduction with a safe margin); 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 2½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon fine salt; ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 1¾ cups granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 2 large egg whites, at room temperature; ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature; ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature; ¾ cup strawberry reduction, cooled to room temperature; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature; ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted; ¼ cup strawberry reduction (reserved from above); Pinch of fine salt; Fresh whole strawberries for decoration

fromcakedecorist.com cakedecorist.com/traditional-christmas-cookies

This Southern strawberry cake from scratch uses a real strawberry reduction, buttermilk batter, and fresh strawberry frosting. No box mix. No Jell-O. Just pure berry flavor.

Ingredients

Instructions

Place the hulled, halved strawberries in a medium saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 to 20 minutes. As the berries soften, mash them with your spoon. You are aiming for a thick, jammy texture, roughly like tomato paste, reduced down until you have exactly 1 cup of concentrated puree once it cools. It is better to reduce a little too far than not far enough, so keep going if it still looks watery.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans generously, line the bottoms with parchment circles, then grease the parchment too. This double-greasing matters, because the sugar from the reduction makes this batter stick more than a plain vanilla one.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt for a full minute to distribute the leavening evenly. The cornstarch softens the crumb, mimicking lower-protein cake flour. If you prefer, you can simply swap in 2¾ cups of cake flour for the all-purpose-plus-cornstarch combination and skip this trick entirely.
Beat the softened butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high for 4 to 5 full minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through. The mixture should turn pale, almost white, and grow noticeably in volume. This step builds the structure of the cake, and rushing it is the most common reason from-scratch butter cakes come out dense.
Reduce to medium-low. Add the whole eggs one at a time, then the egg whites one at a time, letting each fully incorporate before the next. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans, weighing them if you can. Smooth the tops.
Beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high for 3 full minutes until completely smooth and fluffy. Scrape the bowl well so there are no lumps.
Place the first layer on a plate or cake board. Spread a generous, even layer of frosting on top, about ¾ cup. Add the second layer and press gently to level it. Apply a thin crumb coat all over the outside and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes until firm.